Ohio Farm Bureau introduces Energy and Utility Issues Resource Guide
Ohio Farm Bureau’s newest resource for members seeks to help farmland owners navigate the many questions surrounding energy development.
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The Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) ballot initiative didn’t get very far after it was passed by Toledo voters in 2019, thanks to the fast action of Ohio Farm Bureau member Mark Drewes. Drewes, who farms in Wood County, filed a lawsuit to thwart the attempt to give legal rights to Lake Erie and give Toledoans authority to sue farmers on behalf of the lake. The result of Drewes’ lawsuit was a U.S. District Court judge ruling decisively that LEBOR was invalid.
Drewes wasn’t alone in his efforts. The law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease took on the case for Drewes, with financial support from Ohio Farm Bureau.
“This wasn’t just about how LEBOR was going to affect me and my farm. This was about the principle of being sued just because you’re a farmer, even though you follow all of the regulations and guidelines put in place to protect our environment,” Drewes said. “If it hadn’t been for Ohio Farm Bureau’s involvement in supporting me in this case, it could have turned out to be a much different situation for every farmer in the Lake Erie Watershed.”
It is not uncommon for Ohio Farm Bureau to engage in court cases that could set a major precedent that would possibly affect its members. Throughout the litigation, Farm Bureau actively assisted Drewes and his legal team to ensure that the concerns of Farm Bureau members were heard. OFBF’s legal staff lent agricultural expertise to Drewes’ lawyers and provided supporting information about agriculture’s efforts to protect water quality.
“The fact that Mark could be the target of outrageous lawsuits for the way he farms is a prime example of why Ohio Farm Bureau had to be a part of his team through the LEBOR battle,” said Adam Sharp, executive vice president of Ohio Farm Bureau. “If farmers like Mark, who does all of the right things, could have been taken to court by a citizen of Toledo who may have never farmed a day in their life, it would have impacted Ohio agriculture in a very negative way.”
Now, with the case closed, farmers can put their focus squarely back on efforts that will make real differences in Ohio’s water quality challenge. Gov. Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio funding plan will expand the water quality initiative to farmers throughout the Lake Erie Watershed in 2021 and beyond.
Photo: istockphoto.com
The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
The plan we are on is great. It’s comparable to my previous job's plan, and we are a sole proprietor.
We really appreciate what Farm Bureau has done to get people interested in this line of work and workforce development and getting people interested in this industry.
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
We work terrifically with the Ashtabula County Farm Bureau, hosting at least one to two outreach town hall events every year to educate new farmers and existing farmers on traditional CAUV and woodlands.
Because we are younger farmers just starting out, Farm Bureau has a lot of good opportunities and resources to help us grow in the future.
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
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